THE NUISANCE: Unless you're willing to add another chimney (an expensive undertaking), you're stuck with the number of fireplaces you've got. And if you're in an apartment or condo, that may well be zero.

THE REMEDY: Blomus's new Chimo fireplace is as simple to install as an Ikea bookshelf—the 27-square-inch box can be hung on any wall surface and requires no vent or fuel line. Fed by clean-burning, vegetable-based ethanol, the German-made hearth is easily ignited with a lighter and beats the traditional wood-burning fireplace on the green front, too. But the best reason to get a Chimo is purely selfish: You can take it with you to your next abode. $1,480, Lekker Home, 1317 Washington St., Boston, 617-542-6464,
lekkerhome.com.